Beadmaking Tools

The art of beadmaking by winding molten glass around a steel mandrel is often referred to as
"Lampworking". Early glass beadmakers in Venice used oil lamps as their heat source for melting the glass. Today, it's more common to use
a torch that uses a mix of propane as the fuel and oxygen as an accelerant, to get a precise flame that allows you to control
the heat in the glass as it melts. Mandrels are steel welding rods. The glass is wound around the mandrel. But, if you applied
hot glass to them directly, the glass would stick and never come off. So, the mandrels are dipped in "Sludge", a bead release
mixture with the consistency of pancake batter. The dipped mandrels are then air dried, and ready for beadmaking. After the
beads are finished annealing in the kiln, the whole mandrel is put in a tub of water to soak, which loosens the sludge,
and the bead can be removed from the mandrel, leaving a nice even hole.

Stainless Steel Mandrels

These long round rods are made of high temperature metal and make bead
making a snap! Low heat transfer will keep your fingers cools while you wrap
molten glass around the other end. Each Mandrel is 10 inches long and comes in a pack of 10.

1/16" diameter - 10 pack# 2901
$ 10.95

5/64" diameter - 10 pack
# 2902
$ 10.95

3/32" diameter - 10 pack# 2903
$ 10.95

1/8" diameter - 10 pack# 2904
$ 10.95

3/16" diameter - 10 pack# 2905
$ 12.95

Assorted - 2 of each size - 10 pack# 2906
$ 11.95

1/4" diameter 11" extra long - 10 pack# 2908
$ 14.95

Stainless Steel Hollow Tubes

Use as a miniature blowpipe or as a mandrel to make large diameter bead holes.
1/4" (6mm) diameter.

1/4" Stainless Steel Hollow Tube# 2907
$ 7.95

Stainless Steel Tweezers

Stainless steel tweezer with fine serrated points.

6" Curved Nose# 1041-C
$ 2.29

4.5" Curved Nose# 1043-C
$ 1.99

4" 4 piece Tweezer Set

Stainless Steel
Includes: 1 Each

4.5" Straight Tweezer

4.5" Curved Tweezer

4.5" Self-Closing

4.5" Spade Point

# 1044-C
$ 5.75

Self Closing Insulated Tweezers

6.5" Stainless steel tweezers, heat-resistant. Use when soldering or other
times when in contact with heat.